Hydrochus mauriciogarciai, Perkins, 2019

Perkins, Philip D., 2019, Taxonomy of Venezuelan water beetles in the genus Hydrochus Leach, 1817, and an analysis of male genitalia morphology (Coleoptera: Hydrochidae), Zootaxa 4708 (1), pp. 1-59 : 35-36

Hydrochus mauriciogarciai new species

Figs. 2 , 20

Type Material. Holotype (male): “ Venezuela: Zulia State: 10.85498° N, 72.30837° W, 81m, Marshy pond,

30.xii.2008, leg. Short, Camacho, Garcia; VZ08- 1230-02X; pond margin” ( MIZA). Paratypes (4): Venezuela: Zulia: Same data as holotype (4 SEMC, MALUZ) .

Differential Diagnosis. Among Venezuelan species, recognized by the combination of moderate size (ca. 2.92–3.08 mm), the relatively impunctate pronotal reliefs, and the male genitalia ( Fig. 20 ; described below). This species has a generalized Hydrochus habitus; reliable determinations will require dissection of males. The paramere tips extend well beyond the aedeagus, as do those of H. variabilis ; however, the tips are shaped differently in the two species; also, the adbl is shaped differently in the two species, and the length of the basal piece, compared with the parameres, is shorter in H. shorti . Furthermore, H. variabilis is larger (e.g., 3.42 vs. 2.92 mm) and generally has shallower pronotal foveae.

Description. Habitus as illustrated ( Fig. 20 ). Size: holotype (length/width, mm): body (length to elytral apices) 2.92/1.00; head width 0.72; pronotum l/w 0.69/0.69; PA 0.64; PB 0.58; elytra 1.81/1.00. Body size moderate (ca. 2.92–3.08 mm). Dorsum grey, with slight to moderately strong iridescence, elytra sometimes with black spots. Legs testaceous, with tibiofemoral joints darker. Punctation on elytra ca. 1– 2x that of pronotum. Elytra interstriae ca. 1x strial puncture diameter. Interstria 9 th more convex than others, overhanging 10 th interstria. Usual area of callus on 5 th moderately raised, moderately elongate.

Pronotum length and width equal, widest slightly behind anterior margin, narrowed at base, sides arcuate or very weakly sinuate, smooth; anterior margin slightly bisinuate; depressions moderately deep, much more densely punctate than reliefs between depressions, latter almost entirely impunctate.

Elytra with spaces between strial punctures ca. 0.5– 1x their diameter; apices rather sharply conjointly rounded in dorsal view, in lateral view outer margin with slight angulation.

Ventral characters: Mentum moderately coarsely and moderately densely punctate, with median fovea. Submentum with two large foveae.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 20 ) general characters: parameres extending well beyond distal end of aedeagus, tips in dorsal/ ventral views slightly wider at midlength of tips than at level of distal end of aedeagus, medial margins of tips converging distally, distal ends rounded, in lateral view tips narrow; aedeagus widest at level of adtl; basal piece comparatively short, much shorter than parameres, robust, rim of orifice strongly sclerotized.

Dorsal surface: adtl subapical; pdmm widely overlapping lateral margins of aedeagus; adbl small.

Ventral surface: avtl V-shaped, near basal 1/3 of aedeagus; pvmm much more widely separated than pdmm.

Etymology. Named for Mauricio García, an outstanding water beetle collector who has netted many new species of Hydrochus .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Dorsal habitus of Hydrochus species.

FIGURE 20. Hydrochus mauriciogarciai n. sp., habitus and male genitalia of holotype.